“I AM IN AWE OF HIS ABILITY TO VISUALIZE A PROJECT, EXECUTE IT, AND
DRIVE THE TEAMS TO CREATE THINGS BETTER THAN WE EVER IMAGINED.”
BOBBI BROWN ON HER HUSBAND, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER STEVEN PLOFKER, AND THEIR COLLABORATION ON THE GEORGE
or the Montclair Film Festival,
including Anna Wintour, the Imagine
Dragons, Joan Juliet Buck, Andre
Leon Talley and Gaten Matarazzo
[from Stranger Things].
ANY MEMORABLE STORIES YOU
CAN SHARE? Andre Leon Talley liked
the couch in his room so much that
he offered to buy it on the spot.
We sent it to him as a gift, as he is
an old friend.
WHAT WAS YOUR COLLABORATION
WITH YOUR HUSBAND LIKE? WAS
THIS YOUR FIRST TIME WORK-
ING TOGETHER? My husband was
my business partner when I first
launched Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.
Since then, he has continued to be a
part of every project I do. Our collab-
oration with The George was a first
for us. It has been both interesting
and exciting. I am in awe of his abil-
ity to visualize a project, execute it,
and drive the teams to create things
better than we ever imagined. Being
two creators working and living
together, it has been a give and take.
Ultimately, you have to sometimes
give up and other times persist —
and that’s for the both of us.
WHAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING
AND MOST CHALLENGING PARTS OF
OPENING THE GEORGE? It’s been a
blast to be able to imagine and create
something new. The biggest challenge
is how long it all takes. Patience is
not my strong suit.
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FALL 2018 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
WHAT AREA LOCATIONS WOULD
YOU RECOMMEND TO VISITORS
STAYING AT THE GEORGE?
I love so many things about my
town — mostly the people that I have
known for years — along with the
newbies who chose Montclair for the
same reasons I love it. The parks, the
culture, the restaurants, and the
fitness scene are
some of the most
special things about
our town.
ARE THE VISITORS
TO THE GEORGE
LARGELY FROM
NEW YORK CITY,
OR ALL OVER? Our
clients so far have
ranged from business executives
traveling to the area for work to
local residents who are having wed-
dings, bar mitzvahs, etc. and need
somewhere for their families to stay.
We’ve also had some very interesting
celebrities who have been in town for
events at the Montclair Art Museum
WHAT WILL YOUR ROLE BE GOING
FORWARD? As both the creative
director and proprietor, I will be
very involved in all aspects — from
the business to the
details.
ARE THERE ANY
UPCOMING
PROJECTS YOU’RE
WORKING ON?
There are a few
projects in devel-
opment. We’ve
launched an edito-
rial site called justbobbi.com that
includes my interviews and wellness
content. It’s a modern lifestyle plat-
form for all things wellness, beauty,
travel and everything in between. I’m
also very excited to launch my new
line of wellness products, available
online at evolution18.com. ■
KINGLY COMFORT The George’s painted, paneled library reflects Brown’s love of all things English.
HAVE YOU MADE ANY CHANGES
BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM GUESTS?
We now have tablets in each of the
rooms that facilitate guest requests,
from extra Nespresso pods to wine
delivery or extra pillows. We also
converted from a paid continental
breakfast to a complimentary con-
tinental breakfast for our guests.
Finally, guests were loving the in-
room amenities so much that we
installed a pop-up shop in the lobby
of The George. It allows guests to be
able purchase anything they see right
then and there.